This blog contains the materials for my Face|Resection project. All materials are free to view and download. Please feel free to use and disseminate as desired, but please make sure to credit me (and preferably link to the hosting site). I want this resource to be available and helpful, but being properly credited for its public use is incredibly important as both a freelancer and as a person making a living as adjunct faculty.

If you would like to purchase a coil bound hardcopy, email me (matt.j.barbier [at] gmail.com).

Nicholas
Deyoe's facesplitter
is a work for solo trombone composed in 2011, and collaboratively
revised in 2014 by Matt and Nicholas. The performing musician is
asked to integrate the human element of her playing into the piece as
part of an irregular mechanical function, finding a way to regulate
those human elements into the work's sonic framework. Deyoe
describes the piece as 'inorganic and concrete covered,' setting the
challenge to create a sonic world that is perceived as an erratic
machine rather than a human attempting to disguise his human
functioning in regularity.

Deyoe's
thoughts on the process he is exploring are succinctly summed up by
his program note for the work's recording:

facesplitter
is a study in mechanism and degradation. This piece began an
obsession for me in music that can highlight the mechanical aspects
of playing an instrument while highlighting the parts that are
inherently human. The closer we get the a purely mechanical
representation of something, the human failures become all the more
apparent. facesplitter
alternates (and wanders the territory) between machine and person to
exhibit the moments when each becomes the other. Rhythmically regular
split tone pulsations eventually falter. Vocal multiphonics combine
human with machine, suggesting some creation that has come to life,
but is broken and dangerous. Bolts loosen and rattle. Human moments
of pure and quiet tones are degraded and forced to last too long,
revealing imperfections.

This
vision creates a series of singular challenges that require
thoughtful consideration when applied to the concepts laid out in
this manual.

The
primary challenge in facesplitter
is the immediate production and cessation of split-tones in a wide
spectrum of dynamics.
facesplitter
also challenges the performer by demanding a seamless integration of
circular breathing into the work's rhythmic fabric as well as the
performer being able to circular breathe 2:1 split-tones. The piece
also requires that the performer rapidly and precisely alternate
between split-tones and vocal multiphonics of the same interval. The
score for facesplitter
is included in this section. Because of this, individual measure
numbers will be referenced rather than inserting score excerpts into
the text.

The
challenge of hard starts and stops is present throughout facesplitter
in disparate styles and ranges of split-tone attacks that require a
considered application of a similar method. The exercise on page 22,
that focuses on immediate attacks with rhythmically intense releases,
is the dominate method for approaching this challenge. All of the
challenges related to this in Deyoe's work can be addressed by
applying this exercise in contextually modified ways to individual
difficulties.

The first, and most often missed by the author, occurrence of this
challenge is at m. 17. The attacks in this section [mm. 17 to 20]
present particular challenges because of the speed of reiteration and
the volume of attack. The sudden volume shift can easily encourage
the performer to overdo the attack and therefore lose embouchure
focus and with that, the split-tone. Given that the initial attack at
m. 17 is the first 4:3 split-tone of the work, the performer can help
her stability by taking back the dynamic shift slightly and allowing
the aggressiveness of the split-tone to create an impression of
dynamic increase. In general, 4:3 split-tones tend to have a more
aggressive, high overtone centered timbre than the low frequency
heavy 3:2 split-tone, thus producing a brighter sound.

The
other precarious element in this gesture is to not break the
split-tone when executing the multiple tonguing at the written tempo.
One method to avoid this is to lengthen the first note very slightly
to allow the split-tone to center before disturbing it with
articulation. Another technique to aid its stability it to keep the
tongue low in the mouth when double tonguing. While this is something
one should always strive for, an inconsistent airflow can drastically
effect the stability of a split-tone. Because of this, a high tongue
position increases the potential of instability and increases the
probability of errors when articulating so close to the beginning of
the tone. By devoting careful focus to the efficiency of tongue
position and allowing the split-tone to imperceptibly settle before
delivering the initial back stroke while multiple tonguing, one can
increase his security in the attack and deviation of this sound.

The
next potential pitfall is at m. 28. If one utilizes the above
suggestion of allowing the shift in split-tone to create an
impression of a loud dynamic, then the performer must compensate for
this by adjusting the volume at m. 28. Given the increased tempo and
aggressive sound created by the 4:3 split-tone combined with double
tonguing, it is easy for the player to not give an impression of a
softer, mp
dynamic. While seemingly a small challenge, it is actually an
incredibly important moment in the work. If the performer fails to
create a gradation of split-tone dynamics, facesplitter
can lose its structural clarity. If the integration of split-tones
into the form and texture are lost, the work can threaten to become a
series of extended techniques and noises rather than the carefully
thought out work it is. Much like a brass section “taking back”
certain dynamics in a Bruckner symphony to maintain interest and
impact, the performer must devote careful attention to the dynamic
gradations in facesplitter.

Since
this is such a pivotal detail, it is recommended that the performer
slightly over emphasize the softer dynamic. Careful attention must be
paid to finding a healthy middle point between executing the
split-tone softly enough to create a change in contour while also
still playing it loud enough to present a full image of the sound and
create a clear forward momentum to emphasize the tempo shift. One
useful method for creating a stable attack at a softer volume while
being able to focus on a clear, full sound, is to practice this
section with a practice mute. Much like in traditional trombone
practice, the application of a practice mute to this phrase can
assist in finding the balance point between creating the physical
sensation of a soft attack while playing into the resistance of the
mute to create of full width of tone. While the work demands many
extreme techniques, consistent delivery is created through the same
practice methods one would apply to any more traditional work.

A
quite precarious appearance of this issue occurs from mm. 51-53. This
spot provides an unlikely challenge for a few reasons. Primarily
because these are the split-tones in the work most inclined to
instability, they are the softest, and they are performed without the
resistance benefits [and wiggle room] of a mute. A practical method
for approaching a consistent low 3:2 split-tone attack is to utilize
the attacks exercise with breath attacks. Do the exercise at a soft
volume and deliberate tempo while striving for a square beginning to
one's split-tones without the aid of the tongue. Much like the
application of breath attacks to traditional playing, they are
incredibly useful for finding the correct balance of vibration in
this context. Find the balance point where one relies on an immediate
attack from the air and lip, while the articulations simply provide a
small touch of clarity. As with m. 28, this section can also greatly
benefit from the use of a practice mute.

Another
singular challenge materializes from mm. 46 to 48. This figure
presents the challenge of one executing a 2:1 split-tone, circular
breathing it, and adding vocal multiphonics to its texture. Much like
circular breathing a more standard split-tone, circular breathing a
2:1 split functions largely on one's ability to maintain a focuses
center to one's embouchure inside the mouthpiece while the external
parts shift. This is complicated by the fact that the 2:1 split-tone
does not have the same form of anchor that higher split-tones do,
however one can compensate for this by keeping her breaths short,
relaxed and with the smallest amount of puff possible. This will
require the performer to breathe more often, but this is built into
the structure of the phrase. The periodic vocal rests that
correspond with the 3/4 closing of the mute are intended to be

moments
for the trombonist to integrate the necessary breathing into the
form of the work and use the slight aid of the mostly closed mute,
both in resistance and filtration, to assist with this precarious
challenge. Allow the soft dynamic to create a calm but complex sound
and simply allow the breathing to exist in that space.

The
secondary issue in this phrase is the addition of the voice. Similar
to circular breathing, the actual mechanics are no different than
traditional vocal multiphonics, assuming that one can maintain a
focuses center to the split-tone. The primary challenge with the
integration of vocal multiphonics into a 2:1 split-tone is balancing
the amount of air needed for the voice and extremely slow rate of air
needed for the 2:1. If one sings fully and with a direct sound, she
runs an incredibly high risk of destabilizing the split-tone. It is
instead helpful to allow the voice to be diffuse and blend into the
texture of the 2:1. This challenge is most effectively navigated by
allowing the voice to integrate into the composite split-tone sound
and be a portion of the sound that creates timbrel and spectral
change rather than the direct audibility of dyads.

A
modified but less delicate version of this challenge also appears at
m. 76. This measure combines the voice with the more stable 3:2
split-tone. The difficulty with this measure is to balance the voice
with the split-tone, which allows the downward glissando to be
audible. Given the presence of sound a 3:2 split-tone creates, one
must sing with a full and well supported voice to make an audible
sweep in the timbre of the split-tone. This combinatory effect also
sets the performer up for a balanced execution of the rest of the
phrase. Once the glissando reaches its lowest point [a 1:1 with the
top tone of the split], the trombonist drops the split-tone down to
the lower tone while maintaining the voice and performing a
crescendo. As this phrase is building into the dynamic climax of the
work [m. 83], a drop in intensity at this exchange creates a
reduction where the build should begin. If the performer can enforce
a balanced sound between the voice and split-tone, a dynamic
integrity will be maintained when the split-tone is dropped, thus
allowing a foundation for a logical sonic build into m. 83. This
balance also lays a foundation for the proceeding exchanges of
split-tone and vocal multiphonics on the same interval. The practical
execution of this challenge will take care of itself if the
foundation is laid the moment the voice enters against the
split-tone.

Nicholas
Deyoe's facesplitter
is a uniquely challenging and rewarding work which effectively
explores the physical mechanization of the performer while avoiding
the creation of a work that only aurally functions from the knowledge
of that process. While extremely challenging, facesplitter
is
a work that was made through an extensive collaborative process and
that process is reflected in the exactness of notation. That is to
say that all the materials were carefully worked on with the
intention that the work can be performed as it is written and the
sounds were chosen for their effectiveness and potential for
reliability. This is in contrast with it's B side, Bowel
Resection,
which is a work that allows itself to mold to the limits of the
individual performer. facesplitter
exists as inorganic matter with a clear plan intended for a clear
execution of a musical concept. It is the author's hope that this
writing provides a starting point for a trombonist interested in
facesplitter
to begin a dialogue with herself as how to best approach the work and
create paths for his own playing style to fit into the required
mechanization.